EU-Mercosur, von der Leyen: let's choose fair trade over tariffs
"While some people create barriers, we build bridges," said European Council President Antonio Costa
<a class="class-link-in" href="#U21424686027Clt">Fitto: important and balanced understanding with many benefits</a>The key points
- Von der Leyen, we prefer fair trade over tariffs
- President Uruguay, understanding relaunches a rules-based world
- Milei, Meloni's commitment crucial
- Costa, some create barriers, we build bridges
- Kallas, agreement is an important boost for free trade
- Fitto: important and balanced understanding with many benefits
- Vieira, understanding bulwark of multilateralism
- Confetra: strategic agreement for export and logistics
- Cia, due guarantees missing in the agreement
The European Union and the Mercosur countries have signed a trade agreement covering some 700 million consumers. The agreement, the result of 26 years of negotiations, was signed in the presence of the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the president-in-office of the Mercosur alliance, Paraguayan leader Santiago Peña, in a highly symbolic location: the amphitheatre of the Banco Central de Paraguay, where in 1991 the 'Treaty of Asunción' was signed by the heads of state of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, which gave birth to Mercosur. The agreement will provide new business opportunities for companies across the EU, leading to an estimated 39% increase in annual exports to Mercosur (worth around €49 billion), while supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs in the EU. The European Commission has been negotiating this agreement since 1999 with the founding members of Mercosur (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay).
Von der Leyen, we prefer fair trade over tariffs
"We are creating the world's largest free trade area, a market representing almost 20 per cent of global GDP, offering unparalleled opportunities to our 700 million citizens. This agreement sends a strong signal to the world. It reflects a clear and deliberate choice. We prefer fair trade to tariffs, we choose a productive, long-term partnership and, above all, we intend to offer real, tangible benefits to our citizens and businesses,' said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Paraguay for the signing of the agreement. The agreement, she said, "is the result of a generation. For the benefit of generations to come. Long live the friendship between our people and our continents,' Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.
President Uruguay, understanding relaunches a rules-based world
President Santiago Peña of Paraguay also praised the treaty, calling it 'a clear signal in favour of international trade' in 'a global scenario marked by tensions'. We are signing, he said, 'not only a trade agreement, but we are affirming that we all continue to want to build a world order based on rules and predictability. We are taking responsibility for reaffirming that the rule of law, democracy and the rules of trade must guide people's lives'.
Milei, Meloni's commitment decisive
"I would like to express my appreciation to the European leadership that made this achievement possible, in particular to the Italian Prime Minister, whom I am pleased to call my friend, Giorgia Meloni. Her commitment and support were crucial for this agreement to materialise today,' Argentine President Javier Milei said during the signing of the EU-Mercosur agreement in Asuncion, Paraguay. This was reported by the Argentine daily Clarìn. In his speech, Milei derided that it is 'fundamental that in the implementation phase the spirit of what was negotiated is preserved. The introduction of mechanisms that restrict access, such as quotas, safeguards or measures of equivalent effect, will significantly reduce the economic impact of the agreement and undermine its essential objective. We must be vigilant in our parliaments to ensure that this does not happen. The 25 years invested oblige us to rise to the occasion in this final phase'.
